The role of recognition technologies in creating safer stores for everyone

By Nick McDonnell, Senior Director of Trust & Safety at Auror

Nick is the head of Trust and Safety at Auror, the global leader in retail crime intelligence. Auror helps retailers record instances of crime and anti-social behaviour in their stores in a structured and privacy-enhancing way, linking previously isolated events to repeat offenders. Its digital platform allows retailers to securely share relevant information with police, and is used in more than 48,000 retail stores and in 3500 law enforcement agencies across North America, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

So, what role does recognition tech play in this next phase of retail safety?

To reduce violence at scale and keep people safer, it's clear we now need more preventative measures that give frontline workers advance warning of known violent or prolific offenders, empowering them to make informed decisions about team and customer safety.

There is no one answer here, but we believe recognition technologies are a key part of the solution, provided they are deployed safely, thoughtfully and transparently.

Auror’s co-founder and CEO Phil Thomson recently shared that retail leaders around the world tell him why exploring facial recognition in particular is important, quoting one retail CEO as saying “I have an obligation to my team…to keep them safe. If technology is going to help us with that, why wouldn’t I look at it?”

Facial recognition technology (FRT) in the past three years in particular, has rapidly advanced into an effective, accurate and reliable tool.

Training data sets have become way broader and more diverse, making a considerable leap in accuracy and anti-bias. The caveat is that image quality remains the most important input. But, if images are of good quality, then world-leading FRT is proven to deliver a true match rate of over 99.8% in challenging environments with poor lighting and off-angles, as demonstrated by independent testing organizations such as National Institute of Standards and Technology.

At Auror, we’re exploring how this recognition technology can be safeguarded to ensure it’s used securely, responsibly, and that it is effective and proportionate to the challenge.

Click here to read the full article
 

GSX 2025 Day Two: From Hype to Hands-On

By Hedgie Bartol, LPQ, LPC

If Day One of GSX 2025 in New Orleans was about big ideas and splashy demos, Day Two was about rolling up your sleeves and figuring out what actually works in the trenches. The conversations shifted from "what’s possible" to "what’s practical," and that’s where things get interesting for those of us in Asset Protection (AP) and Security Operations.

1. AI Gets Real

We’ve all heard the AI buzz, but Day Two sessions focused on actual deployment. Retailers are no longer content with proof-of-concept—they want measurable results. Case in point: predictive analytics platforms showing how AI-driven models are cutting false alarms by double-digit percentages. The message was clear: stop treating AI as a magic wand and start treating it like a tool that needs fine-tuning, testing, and real-world integration.

2. Alpha Vision and the Next Gen of Video Intelligence

Building on yesterday’s momentum, Alpha Vision was back in focus. Their integration with camera platforms and ability to run on ACAP (Axis Camera Application Platform) makes them a standout in the computer vision arena. What had people talking today wasn’t just the slick demos—it was the roadmap toward scalable, cost-effective deployments. For AP pros, that means real-time alerts, forensic search capabilities, and enhanced situational awareness without having to rip and replace existing infrastructure.

3. Cyber-Physical Fusion

Day Two also dug into the growing intersection between cybersecurity and physical security. With attacks increasingly blending the digital and physical realms, retailers need a layered defense. Solutions on display showed how intrusion detection systems can talk to network monitoring tools, creating a unified threat picture. Think of it as shrinking the gap between your SOC (Security Operations Center) and your AP control room.

4. Smart Stores Need Smarter People

Another recurring theme: technology is only as strong as the people behind it. Whether it was demonstrations of biometric access control or discussions around cloud-based case management platforms, the reminder kept surfacing: training and change management are just as important as hardware and software. Without buy-in from associates and managers, even the flashiest tech will gather dust.

5. Partnerships That Matter

Today’s panels doubled down on collaboration. Whether it’s solution providers working to integrate platforms (yes, still a hot button) or cross-industry task forces tackling Organized Retail Crime, the tone was less "go it alone" and more "let’s solve this together." One interesting thread: retailers are now demanding proof of interoperability, not just promises. That’s a challenge to vendors but a win for the industry.

Final Thoughts

Day Two of GSX 2025 proved that the conversation is maturing. We’re moving past hype into execution. For AP leaders, the key is to harness the energy of new technologies like Alpha Vision, blend it with solid training, and keep pushing vendors toward meaningful collaboration. Tomorrow, expect the spotlight to shift toward future-forward strategies—think drones, robotics, and maybe even a glimpse of what GSX 2030 could look like.
 

ORC Shifts from Aisles to Algorithms
When Organized Retail Crime Goes Digital: How Thieves Are Exploiting Social Media and E-Commerce Platforms

By the D&D Daily staff

Organized retail crime has traditionally conjured images of groups sweeping through stores, filling carts, and dashing for the exits. But increasingly, the real action is happening online.

Investigators and retailers report that ORC networks are no longer stopping at shoplifting. They are creating sophisticated pipelines that funnel stolen goods directly into the e-commerce marketplace, often disguised as legitimate sellers. Social media platforms, resale apps, and online storefronts have become the new “fences,” replacing the pawn shops and flea markets of the past.

The shift creates a double challenge for retailers. First, stolen merchandise that once disappeared locally now floods regional and even global markets, making it harder to track and recover. Second, the digital storefronts often appear indistinguishable from legitimate small businesses, complicating law enforcement’s efforts to identify bad actors.

One recent example cited by industry investigators involves beauty products. Shoplifters working in coordinated crews lifted thousands of dollars’ worth of cosmetics from multiple stores in a single day. Within hours, those items appeared for sale on a popular e-commerce site, shipped directly from a “third-party seller” with positive reviews. To consumers, it looked like a bargain. To retailers, it represented both a direct loss and an erosion of trust in legitimate online sellers.

The digital turn of ORC also means that the financial damage can be multiplied. A single ring can leverage anonymous payment services, bulk shipping accounts, and global platforms to move massive volumes of goods faster than ever before. In some cases, the crime goes beyond stolen goods—counterfeit products and even unsafe, tampered items have entered circulation under the same cover.

Retailers and loss prevention professionals are now calling for closer cooperation with online marketplaces and stricter verification of third-party sellers. Some platforms have begun rolling out enhanced identity checks, but the sheer scale of e-commerce makes enforcement difficult.

As ORC continues to evolve, the battle is shifting from the aisles to the algorithms. For retailers, success in combating the problem may depend as much on digital intelligence and data partnerships as on in-store security.


Are Tariffs Fueling Cargo Theft Surge?
Trump's tariffs trigger unlikely crime wave across US
Donald Trump’s tariffs have triggered an explosion in cargo theft across the US as organised gangs target truck drivers. Drugmakers, clothes manufacturers and electronics companies are grappling with “unprecedented” numbers of crimes, which have surged by a third year-on-year, according to the boss of a supply chain security company.

David Warrick, executive vice president of Overhaul, said: “I’ve been in supply chains for 30 years and I’ve never seen this before.”

The rise is a “side-effect” of Mr Trump’s sweeping trade tariffs on US goods imports, which have increased the value of shipments and pushed companies to stockpile goods, Mr Warrick said. Firms raced to front-load imports before Mr Trump’s fees hit, meaning large volumes of goods have become sitting targets waiting in distribution centres and warehouses.

Mr Warrick said: “This isn’t opportunistic theft, this is organised crime. It is cartels and mobs who have infiltrated the supply chains.”

One common tactic is fake pickups, where a criminal will pretend to be the driver who is scheduled to pick up a trailer. Gang members also impersonate depot managers.

“They will scratch the serial numbers off the trucks and trailers, they will change the license plates. We’ve even seen them painting the containers and removing doors using angle grinders. It is the Wild West,” Mr Warrick said.

“A lot of it goes unnoticed [in the press], partly because if you’re a big company you don’t really want to broadcast that you’re being targeted by organised crime.”  yahoo.com


More Cities Utilize LPRs to Fight Crime - Paid for By ORC Grants
Flock license-plate reader cameras being installed in Springfield

Police say the technology is being installed to meet a grant deadline, but the department says it will await a “broader community discussion” before activating them to track vehicles as part of criminal investigations.

Springfield police have started installing Flock Safety license-plate recognition cameras on city streets, the department said in a statement Friday, Sept. 26. But police have yet to activate them for tracking and identifying vehicles as part of criminal investigations.

“Once each site is verified, the cameras are deactivated until a broader community discussion takes place,” police said.

The technology has elicited increasing opposition from local citizens concerned about what data is collected and how it is used. Springfield elected officials said they’d like more information about the technology, which police leaders said helps solve crimes.

Installation began in order to meet a grant funding deadline, with cameras turned on “for calibration and validation,” the Springfield police statement said, describing a verification process for each of the mounted cameras.

Springfield police have said a $93,000 grant from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission to fight organized retail theft is being used to pay for the cameras. lookouteugene-springfield.com


Maryland's New Retail Theft Law Kicks In
New laws on retail theft, speeding and tipped minimum wage take effect
In Maryland, thieves who target businesses in multiple counties over a 90-day period can have all their offenses combined into a single felony prosecution. The law closes a loophole that had allowed theft crews to raid stores in different parts of the state but stay below the $1,500 threshold needed to face felony charges. Now any county that catches thieves can aggregate their offenses and charge them with a felony. washingtontimes.com


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